Wratten, Haughton among wild cards

Friday

Feb 29, 2008 at 12:01 AMFeb 29, 2008 at 2:54 PM

FEBRUARY 29 WRESTLING ROUNDUP — Wild card invitations announced for state championship tournament.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The performances of Johnny Wratten and Daniel Haughton during the 2007-08 season proved sufficiently impressive to earn the two area wrestlers wild card berths for the state’s Division II championship tournament next weekend at Rochester’s Blue Cross Arena.

Wratten, a senior 160-pound grappler from Little Falls, and Haughton, Dolgeville’s freshman 96-pounder, were on the list of 120 wild cards from across the state — 60 in Division I, 60 in Division II, four in each weight class for each division — officially released Friday morning. Wratten was Section III’s runner-up in his weight class while Haughton took third at the sectional meet and was one of two wild cards taken from the section at his weight.

Section III had the second-largest wild card contingent with 21 wrestlers invited, 14 of them in Division II. Section V was the only section with more — 24.

They were joined by two other Center State Conference wrestlers among the invitees. Adirondack 103-pounder Ken Eaton will go to the meet along with Frankfort-Schuyler 189-pounder Andrew Penree who joins his brother, two-time sectional 21-5 pound champion Hank Penree.

Wratten, already Little Falls’ first 100-match winner, is the first Mountie to make it to the state championships since Andy Little placed fourth at 98 pounds in 1970.

Haughton is the first Blue Devil to make the trip in a decade. Marc Tanner placed fourth in the state at 189 pounds in 1998.

Brackets for the state tournament were also announced Friday morning. Haughton’s first opponent will be fellow freshman Colton Perry of Section IV Windsor. Wratten opens up against Bryan Bonville of Section VII Peru.

The wild card invitations fill out the brackets with 16 competitors in each division. The tournament will take place over two days, March 8 and 9.

Wild card selections are made on specified criteria which includes all previous state finishers, sectional placement, the section’s recent track record at the state meet — Section III was first in 2006 and second last year — and head-to-head competition where applicable.

Compiled From Evening Times Staff Reports

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